Carnation

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        Long forgotten, in some remote corner of the world, there is a forest. In the middle of that forest, there is a garden. And in the middle of that garden, there a great Beast sleeps. The Beast resembles a race of the dominant species of that planet, but was something different, with branches mimicking horns and vines ever-twisting in an imitation of fur, yellow flowers intertwined. But do not think that this Beast does not live, does not breathe and see and feel like all of us, just in a different way. The Beast slumbers on, for decades and decades, as it waits. Those who hear of the Beast, who try to find this garden, will twist and turn through endless paths until they are were they first begun. For the Beast waits only for one, a certain one, to find and wake him from his rest.

        The one to find him will be a creature of the deep, with scales and fins and snarling wrath, to wake the Beast and show him what the world has become. This Leviathan-for that is who will wake him, a creature of the sea as much as him of the land-will have reeds twining through claws and wings like blood in water, eyes of precious pearls and teeth of ivory and crystal. When she finds the Beast, she will wake him from his slumber and tear him from that garden, show him the beauty and horror of the world.

        After that, they will go to find the third. She is power and stardust, galaxies and brilliant things. They will bring her down from the stars, where she has watched and waited for them to come to her. Together, they will search the world, looking to find a gate. A rather special gate, to a rather special place, with rather special creatures. There, they will go to the King and his sisters, and tell him all they have seen. There, the king shall make a decision-to give them a place or send them back out. When he makes his decision, two shall go along with it, and one shall rebel. It is not known which will do what, who they will lose. At this loss, the other two will despair, and wait until they join their missing companion.

   
        And long after, a young Gaoler will be born, named for the flowers blooming miraculously through the ice at his birth. Carnation-for that will be his name-will leave his home and search, for he will know he is missing something. He will scour the lands, trying desperately to find what he is searching for. Eventually, he will find them, for they will have been searching for him too, and they will try to make a life together.

        They will settle down in a small little clan, ruled over by three spiral siblings. Carnation and one of the others-their names unknown to most-will thank him, as is polite to do. But, the one left, with bright blue eyes and a wary mind, will warn the others, saying they should leave. They will fight, and the wary one, the smart one, will leave by herself, a tearful and angry goodbye. Carnation and the one left, grand and covered in imitations of stars, will miss their companion, but believe she will return one day.

        And sure enough, she will regret her decisions, although not for quite a bit-as stubborn as she was, she tended to-and go back to where she left those dear to her. But alas, when she returns she will find a burned down place, with nothing but dusty things and mournful ghosts. She will frantically search for her dear friends, but will find them nowhere, and wonder if that's a good thing. She will search far and wide, across the land and high in the sky, but that is not where they will be hidden. 

        They-Carnation and the star one-will be forever moving, away from the sun, wishing for many different things. Carnation will carry heavy loads upon his back and the star one will weave many tapestries through her claws. They will think of the one they are missing, and wait for the day they see her again, however long that will be. For, of course, they have lived before and lived again, as they always have. They will see each other again, and lose each other again, as they always have. 

        But, at some point, in some life, perhaps they will all agree, will all stay and be. Perhaps they will still suffer, but perhaps they will suffer together.

Or perhaps not.